Mata trained as a professional wrestler under Cuhatemoc "Diablo" Velasco.[4]
The exact year Mata began wrestling is uncertain, only that he was wrestling for Empresa Mexicana de Lucha Libre (EMLL) by the late-1960s. Mata's first major championship was the Mexican National Light Heavyweight Championship, a championship he won on April 11, 1968, when he defeated Dr. Wagner to win the vacant title.[5] The championship reign lasted until June 18, 1972, where Mata lost the title to Enrique Vera.[5] In the early 1970s Raul Mata had begun working for the Southern California based NWA Hollywood based in Los Angeles, CA. In NWA Hollywood he held the NWA Americas Tag Team Championship with a multitude of partners. In 1972 Mata held the title with both Dory Dixon and Ray Mendoza, both regular EMLL wrestlers as well.[6] between December 21, 1973, and October 28, 1976, Mata held the Americas tag title a further five times, teaming with David Morgan, Victor Rivera, Chavo Guerrero twice and finally with his brother Carlos Mata.[6] In 1977 Mata won the Mexican National Heavyweight Championship when he defeated El Halcón on December 18, 1977, to win the title.[7] Mata held the title until July 1, 1978, where he lost the title to El Nazi.[7] In 1970 Mata won the NWA Americas Tag Team Championship again, this time teaming with Mando Guerrero to defeat Leroy Brown and Allen Coage for the titles, holding them for a month before losing the belts to the Twin Devils.[6] Raul Mata also held the NWA World Light Heavyweight Championship for 11 months, winning it on January 20, 1980, from Alfonso Dantés, losing it back to Dantés on December 15, 1980.[8]
Mata was nicknamed the "Hawk of Mexico".[1] He wrestled in a "technical" style.[1] His signature moves were the "Mata Rola" (a modified huracánrana)[2] and the dropkick.[1]
^ abcd"Raul Mata". DignityMemorial.com. Retrieved March 28, 2024.
^ abOliver, Greg (December 20, 2018). "Raul Mata passes away". SlamWrestling.net. Retrieved March 28, 2024.
^ abcRoyal Duncan & Gary Will (2000). Wrestling Title Histories. Archeus Communications. ISBN0-9698161-5-4.
^ abcdRoyal Duncan & Gary Will (2006). "NWA Americas Tag Team Title". Wrestling Title Histories (4th ed.). Archeus Communications. pp. 296–297. ISBN0-9698161-5-4.
^ abcRoyal Duncan & Gary Will (2000). "Mexico: National Heavyweight Title". Wrestling Title Histories. Archeus Communications. pp. 390–391. ISBN0-9698161-5-4.
^ abRoyal Duncan & Gary Will (2006). "Mexico: EMLL NWA World Light Heavyweight Title". Wrestling Title Histories (4th ed.). Archeus Communications. p. 389. ISBN0-9698161-5-4.